Title
Consider recommendation from the Executive Committee to approve a contract with the University of Texas at San Antonio, to provide a comprehensive statistical analysis of long-term EAHCP biological monitoring data, in an amount not to exceed $56,934.
Body
RECOMMENDED MOTION:
Move the the board approve a contract between the EAA and the University of Texas at San Antonio for the purpose of conducting a comprehensive statistical analysis of long-term EAHCP biological and hydrological monitoring data, in an amount not to exceed $56,934 for the period January 1, 2017 through December 31, 2017, and authorize the General Manager to execute the contract.
SUMMARY:
The purpose of this agenda item is for the board to consider an Executive Committee recommendation to approve a contract between the EAA and the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), for the purpose of conducting a comprehensive statistical analysis of Comal and San Marcos long-term biological and hydrological monitoring data. This analysis was recommended by both the National Academy of Sciences and the EAHCP Science Committee.
To solicit the required services, EAA staff issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) consistent with the standard EAA procurement process. On August 1, 2016, EAA staff sent RFP packets to sixty (60) potential vendors. Of those vendors, eight (8) were M/WBEs.
On August 24, 2016, the EAA received proposals from 1) Beaver Creek Hydrology, LLC., 2) Bio-West, Inc. (with Tennessee Tech) and; 3) UTSA, of which none of the vendors were an M/WBE. Staff's proposal evaluation matrix is attached to this agenda item.
Due to the large and varied nature of the data, and the quality of the proposals received, EAA staff chose to recommend awarding contracts to each of the proposers assigning different tasks as follows: BIOWEST to analyze water quality/quantity, submerged aquatic vegetation, and Covered Species populations; UTSA to analyze hydrology, submerged aquatic vegetation, and impacts caused by disturbance and; Beaver Creek Hydrology to analyze the biology of the two springs systems. Beaver Creek Hydrology was engaged through a General Manager letter agreement and the board approved a contract with BIO-WEST at the November 8 meeting.
At the meeting on December 5, the Executive Committee voted to recommend the board approve a contract between the EAA and the University of Texas at San Antonio for the purpose of conducting a comprehensive statistical analysis of long-term EAHCP biological and hydrological monitoring data, in an amount not to exceed $56,934 for the period January 1, 2017 through December 31, 2017, and authorize the General Manager to execute the contract.
M/WBE PARTICIPATION:
UTSA is a state educational institution and is not an M/WBE vendor.
STRATEGIC PLAN REFERENCE:
This agenda item supports the EAA's policy direction as set forth in the EAA 2016-20 Strategic Plan: Goal A. Sustain Federally Protected Aquifer-Dependent Species.
The Applied Research program, is required of the Edwards Aquifer Authority to maintain compliance with the Incidental Take Permit issued by USFWS on March 18, 2013. Specifically, this item is related to the obligations of Section 6.3 of the Edwards Aquifer Habitat Conservation Plan.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Funding in the amount of $56,934 is available in the 2017 EAHCP operating budget.